Israeli President Isaac Herzog had been scheduled to travel to New York on Tuesday, May 19, to deliver the commencement address at the Jewish Theological Seminary, affiliated with Columbia University. However, the institution’s president, Professor Shuly Rubin Schwartz, announced Thursday that Herzog had canceled the trip and would instead address the ceremony virtually.
Herzog had also been expected to receive an honorary degree at the commencement ceremony, though the award will now be presented at a later date.
The cancellation comes after internal criticism and protests by pro-Palestinian activists against the president’s participation. Herzog, however, said the decision was unrelated to any potential demonstrations against him, offering only a vague statement that “circumstances are preventing my travel to New York at this time.”
Student opposition to Herzog’s invitation emerged as early as April 30, when his planned appearance at the ceremony was first reported. Critics condemned his support for Israel’s war in Gaza. At the same time, other students voiced support for Herzog and praised his efforts to combat antisemitism.
The President’s Residence said there was no connection between the cancellation and the protests. According to the statement, the decision stemmed from Herzog having only recently returned from visits to Costa Rica, Panama and Kazakhstan. Under the revised arrangement, university representatives are expected to travel to Israel in the coming months to present him with the honorary doctorate there.
Meanwhile, Israel is preparing for the possibility that the United States could decide to renew military action against Iran. The political leadership has instructed the Israeli military to prepare accordingly, and U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to hold a series of discussions over the weekend regarding the future of the campaign against Iran.